The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity (e.g., greater bandwidth). In trying to achieve these goals, a common approach taken by many communications providers is to use packet switching technology.
Certain packet switching devices can be configured to implement multiple virtual bridges for selectively switching packet traffic within virtual private networks. Note, the term “virtual” is used to denote the sharing of physical hardware to implement multiple bridges, in contrast to each bridge being a standalone appliance. Further, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is typically used within a service provider's core network to communicate packet traffic, including that of virtual private networks, with edge routers configured to terminate MPLS traffic, and send corresponding native packet traffic onto customers' networks.